Sleep Paralysis
by Sheeva1331
Summary: Short drabble on one of Soul's nightmares. Everybody gets them. Some shake us more than others.
1. Paralysis

Sleep Paralysis

Soul was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming, since there could be no possible way he would be outside, touring the Death City arboretum. That, and, he knew it wasn't daytime, as he'd only fallen asleep just after dusk. There was no way he could have been asleep for _that_ long.

What had really gotten him to realize he was dreamed was seeing that creepy-as-fuck eye of Asura. He swore he'd been able to get out of bed and walk into the hallway. Down the long, thin, picture-framed hall, he was sure he saw it. Him. _Asura_.

It scared the hell out of him, and he rushed into Maka's room. She was sitting on her bed, reading a book. She looked up from behind it, and gave him a worried look.

"Everything ok?" She asked. He barreled into her, throwing his arms around her in a hug. Even though this was a dream, she could wake him up. It'd worked before.

"Wake me up. I just need to wake up." He replied.

"Ne, Soul, you have something… on your face." Maka stated. He turned around to face the mirror, and gasped. His mouth was gone! He couldn't breathe!

His eyes snapped open. He saw the ceiling of his room, and he could see that the blanket he slept with was partially covering his face. He could feel the heat his breath gave with each exhale, and the draft of cool air along his neck at each inhale.

Good, good, he could focus now.

"Wake up, gotta wake up." He told himself desperately. His eyes closed, and he drifted in and out of consciousness. He had to find a tether to what was real. He felt the cold air again. He believed that if he could get the blanket off of him in waking life, he'd wake for real. Things worked that way, right?

He struggled with the blanket. He could feel the rush of cool air as it flowed in through the spaces he made, but it still would not move away from his face. It seemed to be getting heavier with each passing moment. As he slipped into darkness again, his heart pounded in his chest. If he didn't get that blanket off of his face, he knew he would suffocate.

He fought again, finding that he didn't have the energy he needed. He let his arms and legs drop, and tried to control his breathing. The blanket felt so heavy. His face felt so hot. The damn thing would suffocate him.

Acting on a moment of fear, he took a deep breath and let out a scream. His oxygen supply was limited, but this was his last resort. He could hear his own voice resound in his ears, and he hoped to Death that he was actually making a sound in waking life.

"AHHHHH!" He screamed over and over again, hoping that Maka would hear him. Her room was just across the hall. He choked; his throat felt dry, and he swallowed spit to wet it. He felt himself fading again, fearing the worst.

He took another deep breath, and screamed, tears coming to his eyes.

 _Damn it, Maka, help me!_

Was she even home yet? He didn't know. She was doing a late-night study session with Tsubaki. _Death, she's not even home!_ He slipped, and forced his eyes open again. He screamed again. He couldn't give up.

A final scream erupted from his throat, and it was weak. There was no power from it. He knew it would not carry, but in his panic, he kept screaming for his life.

Futile. The attempts were futile.

Exhausted, and mind blown, his body wouldn't respond to him anymore as he completely surrendered to the darkness. Surely, to his own death.

His eyes snapped open, and he jerked, gasping in for air. Was he awake? He didn't know. He moved his hand, and the blanket had finally moved. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed his sight was clear, though it was dark. He knew that finally, he was awake for real. His eyes threatened to close, but he forced them to stay open, regardless of how much his eyes stung. He was tired, he knew, but he _didn't_ want to sleep. Not after that.

He forced himself to sit up, and threw the cursed blanket off of him. He shuffled back to lean against the wall. It was cold. The room itself felt like an ice-box. Normally he'd welcome it after being under such a stuffy blanket, but with the terrifying dream he'd just had... He shivered, and touched his toes. They were freezing. To comfort himself, he hugged his knees to himself. He was trembling.

He stood out of bed, wobbly, and looked around. He flicked on the light. Everything rested where he'd left it when he'd went to sleep. Empty cereal bowl on the bedside table, homework and water canteen on his table. Even the pile of clothes in the corner waited for him.

He shook his head, grabbed his towel, and headed for the bathroom, pausing to look at Maka's door. It was still open. She wasn't home, or if she was, she wasn't sleeping or in her room. He sighed. There was no way he could ask if he'd been actually screaming in his sleep, or if he was only dreaming or imagining it.

He stepped into the bathroom, closed the door, and cranked on the hot water, stripping his blue boxers and black tank top. Still shivering from adrenaline, he stepped into the streaming hot water, leaned against the wall, and slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

He just didn't feel like standing. He couldn't tell if it was due to lack of desire, or lack of energy.

His body craved for sleep, but his psyche pleaded "no". Death, no. Not after that.

His tired eyes trailed up the wall, spotting his shampoo, conditioner, and soap. He only stared at it. It felt so far away. He sighed again, and rested one arm on his knee, and leaning against the other. The hot water faded from piping hot to ice-cold, and it seemed to help, though he wished it would stay at a constant temperature.

He sat there for what seemed like half an hour, lost in a sleepy daze.

After deciding he shouldn't waste any more water, he shut off faucet and stepped out, dried himself off, and put his clothes back on. Drying off his silver hair, he stepped out, just as Maka was exiting her room.

"Hi, Soul. Did you just wake up?" She asked cheerfully. He looked at her with tired eyes, and could swear they were dark and puffy.

"Um, yeah. I just… I passed out." He replied. She giggled, understanding. With how hard they'd been working, he was more than entitled to a nap.

"Ne, Soul, you look… are you ok? You look rough." She asked, becoming concerned. He looked a little paler than he usually did. He thought about telling her, mouth open and ready to speak the words. He shut his mouth, and forced a nod.

"Yeah, it was just a… hard nap. I'm fine." He assured, forcing a smile. He only hoped his tired eyes followed, otherwise she wouldn't buy it. He muttered "excuse me" as he passed her, heading straight to his room.

He shut the door slowly behind him, hearing it click. Strangely, the door felt heavier than normal. He shook the thought from his mind. The room was cold. He shuddered, desiring warmth. Not wanting to use the blanket, (he didn't even want to _see_ the infernal thing) he grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and slid on a pair of socks.

He pulled out the chair and slumped down into it. His psyche still protested sleep, and he couldn't blame himself. Grabbing his math book, he began to get a head start on the next homework assignment.

He didn't want to go to sleep _anytime_ soon.

* * *

Sleep Paralysis is a real thing, and I've often wondered if I am the only one to experience this... It's terrifying, to think that you're the only one.

It's dark, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Horror doesn't always come in the form of serial-slash-killers.


	2. Methods to Madness

So I've decided to carry this on, not entirely sure where it will go. I will try to keep it as T-rated as possible. I may end up changing the rating altogether. Don't really know.

* * *

Maka and Soul stared at each other as they sat across from each other in a room surrounded by candles. Maka had dragged Soul's butt to Stein's office despite Soul's complaints. He never wanted to go through this crap again. At least, not in Stein's presence.

Stein freaked him out enough to begin with, considering he had patchwork scars on his body and in his outfit, and a giant, metal screw sticking through his head. He would have to crank it every once in a while. Soul couldn't even bear to hear his clock ticking because of it.

"Do I need to stand by and mediate for you two, or can you behave for an hour or so?" Stein asked, smirking down at them from behind his glasses. Soul sent him an irate look, and Maka sternly nodded. She was damned and determined to get down to the bottom of whatever she'd brought Soul for, it seemed.

They kept silent for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to begin.

Fed up with waiting, Soul started first.

"Why'd you bring me here? You know that guy gives me the creeps." He griped. Maka sent him a look, and then sighed, and averted her gaze to the floor.

"You look like you're not sleeping, Soul." She admitted. Soul blinked. _That_ was what she was so concerned about? Him not sleeping? Sure, he hadn't been, not since their time underneath the school. With having freakish nightmares, and more common episodes of being trapped in between dreams and reality, he didn't _want_ to sleep. He'd done everything he could to get as little sleep as possible to avoid that terrifying state.

He kept his face as stoic as possible, and voice even.

"I'm fine." He lied. Maka sent him another glare.

"Please. I _know_ you're lying." She stated. She crawled up to him, taking a better look at his face. He backed away as far as he could.

"You've got bags under your eyes." She assessed. He frowned, and turned his head.

"So I haven't been sleeping well." He admitted. By the tone of voice, he was asking her to drop it. He crossed his arms, and refused to look at her.

"Is it because of what happened underneath the school?" She asked. He couldn't stop the squinting of his eyes as she guessed it dead on. She was too damn smart.

"Assuming your silence as correct… Look, Soul, I went through it too." She admitted. Soul dropped his head, and nodded slowly. True, she had, but it sure as hell wasn't showing. She was more determined now than ever.

She crawled over to sit beside him, and took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Her tiny hands were warm, and he realized how cold his own were. Slowly, it caught up to him that she was even showing this sign of affection. He couldn't recall her doing this at all before.

His eyes widened as he wondered if this was a dream itself. He shook his head. Of course it wasn't. They'd only been here for at least 15 minutes. As he leaned his head back, the ceiling seemed to stretch, and he stared at it for a while. His heart began to pound in his chest, and he bit his tongue. He couldn't feel anything. Strange, since his teeth had always been abnormally sharp.

"I must be asleep." He decided. He stood, turned his right index finger into a blade, and pricked the index finger of his left hand with it. It hurt, and a droplet of red blood began to form. Confused, he stuck the digit in his mouth and sucked away the blood, soothing the cut with his tongue. He wasn't asleep. He must have just been hallucinating.

"Hey, Maka, feel better?" He asked, eager to get out of the building. He felt far too cozy, and had the urge to curl up and sleep. If he could just get out into the cold air, he'd wake up. She looked up at him and smiled.

"A little. Still need to talk? Have you been having nightmares, too?" She asked. _"Too", huh? Doubt you wake up paralyzed, but still…_ He thought, finding solace in learning the things they hunted in waking life hunted her in sleep as well. Reluctantly, Soul nodded.

"Can we talk about that on our way back?" He asked, fighting a yawn. He failed, and yawned loudly.

"Sure." She said, standing and brushing the dust off of her knees. Soul held the door open while she blew out the candles. Stein had been standing outside the door, waiting. He reached up to crank the screw, and Soul shuddered as the sound raked his eardrums. It made him antsy.

"That was fast. Half expected you two to start arguing again." Stein commented, taking out a ring of keys and flicking through them. Soul shrugged.

"He's too tired to be as stubborn as he usually is." Maka replied with a giggle.

"Oh? Need anything?" Stein offered, almost too readily. Soul scowled as he began to imagine the ways Stein would "help". He'd probably perform a frontal lobotomy or some other crazy medical procedure. Soul went to decline, but Maka beat him to it, arguing that yes, he did. He scowled.

"Damn it, Maka, I'm not about to take anything from that guy!" He argued. Maka shrugged.

"You need sleep, Soul. You'll go crazy if you don't." She insisted. Stein shrugged, and opened the door again, stepped to the altar, and grabbed a decent candle that wasn't burned to a stub. He handed it to Maka.

"If anything, try continuing these communication exercises at home. I suggest in the morning. This way, maybe you can sleep better at night, Soul." He said, locking the door. Soul noticed he froze, seeming to fight with something.

He watched as Stein grumbled to himself. He was gripping the handle of the door, almost visibly shaking with effort to do… or maybe not do, something.

"Leave." Stein forced, keeping his gaze fixed on the door. Soul grabbed Maka by the wrist.

"Bye, Professor." Maka called out as they left the room. Upon reaching the front door to Stein's lab, they could hear his maniacal laughter and an estranged outcry. Soul hurried them to his bike, turned the key, and took off, not bothering to put on his helmet. He wanted to get far away from Stein as quickly as possible.

* * *

Maka had made breakfast for dinner, which was pleasing. It was a comfort food they both enjoyed, and she would occasionally make it upon his request. The gesture she'd made in making it to surprise him lifted his spirits, and he gave a small smile. It felt almost foreign, and he caught himself wondering when the last time he'd smiled _was_.

She'd brought the plates to his room, along with the pitcher of sweet, maple syrup. Digging into pancakes with a lake of syrup on them, he devoured the plate in what felt like seconds. Maka was only a fourth of the way through with hers when he lied back on his bed, satisfied, and feeling better.

"Can't you take your time for once?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, can't help it." He answered. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at his carefree response.

"Ne, Soul…" She began, staring down at her plate. He glanced at her, and rested his arms behind his head. He'd wait.

"I wanted to apologize, for earlier. I just… don't want there to be any secrets, you know? It affects us too much." She started. Soul nodded, remembering the fight with werewolf dude on the bridge.

"I get it. You've been so collected and calm lately, I just didn't realize there was anything wrong. Didn't want to worry you about me. That's just not cool." He muttered, staring at the ceiling. She leaned over to set the now half-finished pancakes on the nightstand.

"Do you see him? Asura?" Maka asked, scooting back on his bed and lifting her knees up to lean against them. Soul nodded.

"Yeah, but… it's the way the dreams play out that I…" He trailed off. Just thinking about it made him uneasy. He felt if he fell asleep tonight, he'd have another interstitial nightmare.

"What do you mean?" She asked. He sighed.

"You ever have nightmares where you just can't wake up? No matter what?" He asked. He felt silly for phrasing it this way, but he didn't know how else to put it.

"When that happens, I usually realize I'm dreaming and just wake up. You mean like, you're about to die, and then it shifts to something else?" She asked. Soul shook his head. Those nightmares were nothing. He could deal with those easily with a few lucid dreaming tactics he'd learned about.

"You can see your room, your blankets; stuff on your nightstand. But you know you're still asleep. You know you need to wake up, but every time you think you're awake, you're not. I swear to Death I was going to die a few weeks ago." He murmured. His voice was small. It was unlike him, and totally not cool.

After a minute of silence, he looked at her. She was staring back at him with a look in her eye. He thought it might have been pity, or sadness. Maybe even fear.

"I know what you mean now." She whispered, nodding slowly. He blinked, and sat up. So he _wasn't_ alone.

"You have 'em, too?" He asked, just to be sure. She nodded, looking down in embarrassment.

"Yeah." She answered. He set a hand on her shoulder, and she reached up and took it.

So she wasn't as collected as he thought she was. She might not have been having these terrifying dreams as often as he was, but it seemed she still forced herself to go to sleep. _And here I've been doing the exact opposite. What a wuss I am._

The clock ticked as the counter turned over, and Soul turned to look at it. 9:25.

She looked at where he was, and stood.

"I'm going to get ready for bed. Goodnight, Soul." She announced, taking his plate and hers and leaving his room.

He flicked off the light, closed his door a little, leaving a crack to allow the hallway light to filter in. He changed into his boxers and tank top, and crawled into his bed. Taking a deep breath, he stared at the ceiling. Maybe, after learning he wasn't alone, he might get a decent night's rest.

He turned on his side, tucking his knees up and holding an extra pillow. He began to imagine having another nightmare, and he grimaced. Uncomfortable, he turned over on the other, as if it would help. He forced himself not to think of it, but it only made him think of it more.

He told himself, over and over, he wasn't afraid of Asura. He wasn't afraid of most of the things they'd hunted in the past. He knew those monsters weren't the issue. He was fearful of being trapped in between dreams and reality, something he felt he had no control over.

A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts, and Maka opened the door and stepped in. Her hair had been let down, and she was dressed in her yellow pajamas.

"Can I… stay with you, for tonight?" She asked. Soul nodded, and moved aside. He wondered if it would help, sleeping beside someone for the night. At least if he needed to, he could call out to her, and she'd hopefully hear it and wake up.

"The other night, I tried calling out to you. I think you were in your room. Did you hear me?" He asked.

"Hm? No, I didn't hear anything." She replied. _Damn, there goes that idea._

Soul arched an eyebrow as she curled up on her side and hugged him. She rested her head on his chest, and relaxed.

"Sleep, Soul. I'll try to wake you up if you have a nightmare. I promise." She whispered. Soul nodded slowly.

"Um, sure. Uh, likewise." He babbled. _Shit, so much for being cool. Pshaw. Who cares?_

He relaxed, and shut his eyes. Feeling the warmth they created and the puffs of air on his chest helped him to think of more pleasant things, and distracted him from the worry of nightmares. He didn't even mind the thought of how cute she looked as it flittered through his head.

Soon enough, he fell asleep, snoring heavily. This would be the best night of rest he'd had in a long while.

* * *

Well, there you go. Hope it was nice. Please let me know if there's any way I could improve.


	3. Music

So much for a one-chapter drabble... Couldn't help it. I wanted to write some more, and this seemed like the best place to start. Well, here you go. Tried to take past reviews into consideration, and uphold promises I made.

* * *

Chapter 3

Soul stood in the middle of the room, a scowl on his face as he felt the choking black suit. He wasn't happy to see the black and white tile floor, either. With the reflection of light from the blue candles, the blood red curtains made the white tiles look an eerie pink. He glanced at the red demon sitting in the chair, and tried to ignore the skip and scratch of the vinyl record.

 _What, am I dreaming again? This sucks._ He thought, turning his back on the demon. He closed his eyes and imagined himself taking a walk around Death City, or playing basketball with his friends. As his face seemed to heat up, he smiled, and opened his eyes, thinking that it'd worked.

Sadly, it had not. The candles in the room had only begun to shine brighter. He sighed, and looked around again to see if _anything_ had changed besides the candles. There was a piano in the corner. He looked behind him. The vintage phonograph was still drawling on, and the demon still sat in the chair.

Now that he looked back at it, he wondered if the damn thing was even paying attention to him. He walked up to it. It stared straight forward, as though it was a wax figurine. Soul curiously reached out and poked it. Sure enough, it was solid, and it fell over in the chair when he tapped it again. Soul shuddered. It was an incredibly creepy sight to behold.

He stood up straight, and crossed his arms.

 _Well, this is definitely a dream._ He decided. He shrugged his shoulders and headed for the door, only to find that it wasn't there. The piano had been moved, and stood in front of him now. He froze, and jerked his head to look behind him as he heard an ear-splitting screeching noise. The seat to the piano was skidding along the floor, hurtling at him at top speed. He didn't have time to move, and it hit the back of his knees. He collapsed onto it, and it carried him to the piano. He glared furiously at the ebony keys, tinted blue from the blue flame of the candles.

Oh, how he _hated_ those keys. He didn't care what they were made of. Whether or not the black half-keys were ebony or if the white keys were ivory, or if they were a species-preserving second-best, he didn't want to see them, let alone touch them. His wrists ached, and he knew he _had_ to play it. Something was forcing himself to play a god-damned piano.

He searched for a label, but couldn't find one. He clenched his teeth together as his hand cramped, and he formed a fist, trying to get the cramp to go away.

He forced a deep breath.

 _What, you're getting mad because you have to play a piano? Pshaw, how uncool is that?_ He reasoned with himself. At least, if it was in his head, he wouldn't have to deal with admitting he'd actually done it in real life, right?

Sighing, he gently touched a random key. It was sleek to his touch. From the way it felt, he figured it was ivory. He struck it. "G" resonated throughout the room.

"Fine." He said to no one, and began to play the first thing that came to mind. "Moonlight Sonata", by Beethoven. He hastily made his way through the first movement, finding that it aggravated him to play. Why, of all the songs he knew, did he have to start with the one he'd had to practice _over and over_ again? Still, fueled by irritation, he finished it, skipping straight to the third movement. He didn't feel like playing the happy, sprightly tune. If he'd taken the time to notice, he would have realized that he was almost pounding the keys, trying to work off his anger.

Finishing the song, he took a moment to reflect. He was shaking from having rushed through the song so quickly. He couldn't help but admit, he did feel slightly better.

Tapping his fingers lazily on the keys, he thought of something else he could play. Focusing on the random notes he was playing, he pinned a tune, and continued to play, calmer, softer this time. He'd even slowed it down. _Sweet Dreams are Made of This_ by Eurythmics. He rocked back and forth in time with the piano, closing his eyes and letting himself sweep away.

Somehow, it churned, to the melody from something he'd heard a few months ago: _Take Me to Church,_ Hozier. It was something he'd listened to at least fifty times in a row. It shook him. He'd even cried.

He took a deep breath, and began to sing. When he hit the melody, he struck the keys with more passion, feeling his face heat. Was he blushing? Or just embarrassed to be singing aloud?

He slowed as he hit the chorus, the sincerity and dynamic of it resounding within himself.

 _Take me to church!  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies;  
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife!  
Offer me my deathless death!  
Good God, let me give you my life!_

His voice erupted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd sung like this, but it felt good. His body was warm; his soul feeling fulfilled. Emotions, evoked. He was singing so loudly, he didn't notice the other presence in the room… until he heard her soft voice signing with his, too. He stopped, and turned around, shocked.

Maka stood before him, wearing a black dress and heels. She was holding her wrist, nervous.

"Sorry. I couldn't help myself." She whispered, blushing. He swallowed, not sure what to say. Sure, he'd played for her when they first met because she'd asked him to, but he'd never sung for her... or _around_ her. His voice was something that he kept to himself.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked, trying to stand. He was relieved to find he could. He stepped as far away from the piano as he could get.

"Long enough." She said, leaving a sense of mystique about her. Soul fought a smirk, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Your voice is amazing, Soul." She said. He blushed, and scratched the back of his neck.

"Heh, thanks. Yours, too. I didn't know you could sing so well, and I didn't even notice you were-hey, wait a minute! What _are_ you doing here?" He asked. There hadn't been a door. How the hell did she get in? He looked behind her, and saw the door, open, leading into the darkness.

"I was… dreaming, and I heard music. So I followed it." She explained. He stared at her.

"Is this where you come to seek solace, now, Soul?" She asked. He shook his head quickly.

"No. Trust me, if I could leave, I would have."

She blinked, and looked around again.

"Isn't this… That room we were in, while we went underground?" She asked. Soul nodded slowly. She walked up to him, slightly concerned.

"Why are we here?" She asked. Soul shrugged.

"I… Don't want to be here anymore. Can we wake up now? I'd rather talk in person, you know?" He asked. Maka nodded, and looked towards the door. It was still open, the outside leading to pitch black darkness.

She held out her hand to him, and he took it, gently. Her fingers were slightly cold. He wondered how his own felt, considering he'd just played them so furiously a few minutes ago.

"Is it safe to go out there?" He asked cautiously. He remembered what had happened the first time. She'd lost her damned mind, and he'd almost gone down with her.

She squeezed his hand lightly.

"I think so." She assured. He took a deep breath, and walked through the door, trying to not let on that he was nervous as hell.

* * *

He opened his eyes, finding that he was staring at his ceiling. He turned his head to look at Maka. She had also awakened, and was smiling back at him.

"See? You gotta trust me a little more, Soul." She giggled. He blinked, and smirked a little. He sat up, then looked at his hand. He had hers clasped in it. He relax, and smiled. Her hand was warm, not cold as he'd thought.

"What were you dreaming about?" He asked. She silenced, staring at her feet.

"I was having a nightmare." She admitted. Soul slowly nodded.

"Being trapped in that room is a nightmare." He sighed. She sent him a glare.

"I do feel like I slept better, though." She said, smiling. Soul did a mental check, and realized he felt much better than he had previously. He lied back.

"Still don't know how you cope." He muttered, slightly jealous. She really had her shit together. Maka lied back too, folding her hands over themselves.

"Sometimes, I can't, but it helps to… never mind. It's silly." She said, turning on her side and facing away from him. One of his eyes twitched, irritated.

"You just caught me singing. What could be sillier than that?" He asked, trying to goad her into telling him. Maybe, it would work with him, too. She sat up, keeping her back to him. She crossed her arms, and huffed a few times.

"I… look for you in my dreams." She admitted. Soul paused, staring at her. That wasn't the answer he was expecting. Considering she was such a bookworm, he figured she just read herself to sleep from something drab and boring, like a textbook.

 _You look for_ me _? I can't hardly handle myself in my sleep._ He thought. She turned her head to look at him, and flinched. She made to leave, but he reached out and snatched at her shirt.

"Wait." He asked. She settled, and nodded.

"Um…" _Death, where do I begin? What do I even say to that?_ He asked himself.

"That's… uh… brilliant. Is that… because you can see souls?" He forced, trying to make conversation so he didn't seem like too much of a desperate dork.

It was Maka's turn to blush, and she kept her back to him.

"I don't know." She mumbled, fidgeting with her pajama bottoms. Soul smirked. It was almost cute.

"Hey, Maka?" He asked, sitting up. She didn't turn to face him, but made a sound to show she was listening. He hugged her from behind, and pulled her back, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Thanks."

* * *

Is there respite from these nightmares? Or... are the chains of fate that bind them to drag them into the depths of insanity? *fu fu fu...*

Read and Review, as always. If you haven't heard the music listed, it's worth it, in my opinion.

Ciao Ciao.

Sheeva1331


	4. Of Sweetness and Candy

Hope you enjoy this one.

* * *

Chapter 4

Soul sat at Maka's bedside, concerned. The sticky webs clinging to her had gone away, but they must have affected something in her muscles, because she still couldn't move. She lay in the bed, staring at her feet. He figured not being able to move was getting to her, and he couldn't blame her one bit. He'd go crazy if he were in her shoes.

Black Star hopped up on the bed, a playful smirk on his face as he grabbed a Sharpie from his pocket.

Soul didn't have a chance to stop him before he could scribble an autograph on her forehead, for "her to get better faster". Soul frowned as he drew a "Hitler mustache" on her upper lip. He'd clean it off after they left, not wanting the others to get the wrong idea. He was already feeding her lunch.

Kidd turned around and smiled at her, pleased with his work. He'd rearranged the medicine cabinet to appear neat and tidy, so "it didn't bother her". Soul dropped his head as he thought: _Only you would be bothered by something like that._

Tsubaki smiled, and assured her they would help her out in whatever way they could. They turned and looked at the door as Sid stepped in, looking around for Naigus.

"Naigus, can I talk to you?" He muttered. Black Star slipped off of the bed and followed them as they stepped out of the room. Kidd, Liz, and Patty waved goodbye and left, and Tsubaki bowed a goodbye as she left too, waiting for Black Star outside of the door.

Soul sighed, relieved. He stepped to the sink, grabbed a washcloth and a bowl, and filled it with hot, soapy water.

"Remind me to whup Black Star later. The autograph, fine. The 'stache? Plain wrong." He told her, offering her a smile. She blushed as he dipped the cloth in the water and wrung it out, placing it on her lip, working away the ink. He had his fingers resting under her chin for added support. He hoped he wasn't being rough, but by the time all of the ink was off of her lip, it was tinted red.

He held back her hair as he scrubbed away the ink off of her forehead. Done, he sat back.

"Is it gone?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Mostly… It stained. It should go away after a few days. Just wash it every day." He admitted, giving her a thumbs-up. She sent him a look, and the smile wiped from his face as he realized she was still unable to move.

The awkwardness grew, and he stood and dumped the black-tinted water in the sink and rinsed out the rag. There were black blots in various places that would probably stain, too.

"Ahem. I'll uh, come back and try again tomorrow. At least most of it will be gone." He said, sitting back down at her side again. Now that everyone was gone, she might be a little more willing to eat. She herself had spoon-fed him when he was too weak after the battle with Krona that had nearly claimed his life, but she always made sure they were alone.

While her condition wasn't life-threatening, it still scared him. The outcome would have been much worse if Justin hadn't shown up when he did. He supposed he should thank Krona too, since he'd helped to defended her. A weapon was nothing without a Meister. Still, he should have been able to do more to actually defend her. He noticed how she'd blushed when Krona stood in harm's way. It made him… No, he had to be imagining this. Was he actually _jealous?_

"Will you be able to sleep at night?" Maka asked him. He looked at her.

 _Say yes. You'll be fine._ He thought, but he couldn't. He'd hesitated too long, and sighed as he realized, she wouldn't believe him if he'd said "yes" now.

"Maybe." He forced. He hadn't thought of it. He didn't want to think of it. However, after they'd spent the last two weeks sleeping side-by-side, he couldn't deny he'd gotten somewhat used to it. He slept better, and it seemed that she did, too. It was a nice change, feeling another source of heat. The comfort of not being entirely alone.

He held another bite to her mouth, wanting her to not talk about the subject. They said nothing to each other as she finished the bowl. He took it to the sink and rinsed it, too, then headed for the door.

"Is there anything you want from the house? I can come back later." He offered. She looked at him, and he sighed. It hurt to see her like this. Now he _really_ understood how she'd felt.

"N-no, I think I'm fine." She answered, blushing. He forced a smile at it. He guessed she was just embarrassed to be in such a state of dependence.

"Sleep. You'll get better soon. Naigus even said so." He ordered before heading out of the door. He shut it with a click. Naigus was walking back to the room, a concerned look on her face. Not that he could see too much of it; it was always covered in bandages. He didn't want to know what lied beneath-she _was_ Sid's weapon after all, and he was a zombie for Death's sake.

"Don't worry, Soul. We'll take care of her. Now that Medusa's gone, you can be sure of it." Naigus said cheerfully. Soul's stomach dropped at the mention of the creepy snake-witch. He wasn't sure if she scared him more than Stein did, but… at least Stein wouldn't perform experiments on them without their knowledge. Or, would he?

"Thanks." He muttered, turning and walking away.

The chill of winter hit him as he took the long way home, trying not to focus on his dread of sleeping alone for the next few nights. It was already dark by the time he reached their apartment.

It was oddly dark inside, and he guessed Blair must not have been home for the last few days. A relief, though he didn't mind that she would occasionally sleep on the windowsill of his room or Maka's room.

He flicked on the light to the living room, and made his way to the kitchen, grabbing some leftovers. Nuking them in the microwave for a few seconds, he sat down at the table, trying to ignore how quiet it was. Not just quiet, but lonely.

He glanced at the clock. It was only 6, but he felt out of place. Given relief from missions for a while so that Maka could recover, and dismissal from school, he had nothing to really do. He doubted anyone would want to hang out, since it was dark.

He felt the strain of his eyes, and admitted to himself that he really should get some sleep.

He showered, taking the time to wash his hair and body. He stared off into the distance, drowning out the sound of the water falling, or even swiveling down the drain. Really, he was just trying to kill time and put off going to sleep.

When the water turned cold, he shut it off, and wrapped a towel around his waist. Since Maka wasn't home, he walked to his room and changed there.

He went to crawl into his bed, and stopped. Blair was curled up, snoozing in her cat form. He didn't want to disturb her but he crawled in anyway, which woke her up.

"You're back! Hooray! I was getting worried, Nyan!" She exclaimed jumping up and bounding over to him. He lied down and nodded slowly.

"Did you get him? You and Maka kicked his butt, right? Pow, pow!" She said, shifting to her human form and punching the air. Thankfully, she had her clothes on, but as he mused on it, he realized it was something that she only did when Maka _wasn't_ home. He dismissed it.

"No, not really… Maka's… in the hospital." He said, the guilt welling in his stomach. Damn it, he should have been able to do _something_. At least Krona had managed to damage the bastard.

"What? Is she ok?" Blair asked loudly, hopping off of the bed. She crossed her arms, and shifted around nervously.

"She can't move, but she'll be ok." He answered, keeping his back to her. He heard his door open, and a pop as she transformed back into a black cat.

"I'll go visit her! You sleep well, Nyan!" She called back cheerfully. Soul cracked a smile, and relaxed fully. When he was certain she was gone, he grabbed the pillow Maka slept with and hugged it, finding comfort in his friend's scent. Perhaps this momentary separation wouldn't be _too_ bad.

* * *

Soul smacked his alarm as it went off. He hadn't slept well due to tossing and turning all night. The upsetting thoughts running through his mind wouldn't go away, and he'd stayed up late thinking.

Mostly, he was worried he would actually have another paralysis nightmare. Blair hadn't returned since she left, and he figured she had chosen to sleep next to Maka. The thought comforted him a little, since Maka wouldn't be sleeping alone, but then he lay awake in fear as he noted he wouldn't have anyone to wake _him_ up.

Annoyed with himself, he finally forced himself to go to sleep after about three hours of pointless worrying and thinking… only to be woken what felt like an hour later by the damn alarm clock.

He sat up and blinked, feeling sluggish and drowsy.

He forced himself to sit up, and then took a shower to wipe of whatever sweat may have formed. He couldn't stand being sweaty.

Bored, he took care of a few things around the house, watered the plants, tidied up the living room, and even did the dishes, taking his time. The more distracted he was, the quicker the time would pass by. He was sure Maka wasn't even awake yet, though it was nearing noon.

 _Still, I can kill time by checking on her._ He told himself, grabbing a pair of socks from the dresser in his room.

The doorbell rang while he only had one sock on, and he paused.

He hadn't been expecting anyone.

He jammed his other foot into the sock, grumbling in annoyance as he accidentally put it on backwards.

He shuffled his feet along the carpet as he walked to the door, not thinking about friction along a freshly vacuumed carpet. When he reached for the handle, sparks shot from his hand and shocked him a little. He cried out softly and shook his hand, glaring at it.

Finally he opened the door.

Spirit stood there, with a bouquet of flowers in one hand and what looked like a congratulations card in the other.

"Maka! Your papa is here to see y- oh, it's you." Spirit began, enthusiasm quickly replaced as he noticed it'd been Soul that opened the door.

"Gee, thanks. Maka's not here. She's in the hospital." He grumbled.

"What? MY LITTLE GIRL IS IN THE HOSPITAL?" He shrieked. Soul rolled his eyes. The man was too dramatic, and too attached.

"What are you doing sitting around at home? Some weapon you are. Weren't you supposed to be watching over my little Maka?" Spirit grumbled. Soul sent him a scowl, and stepped up to him.

"What did you think I was doing? I was going to visit her! I just haven't gotten my shoes on, you old coot! You're one to talk!" Soul barked in protest.

Spirit calmed down, and gave Soul a thumbs up.

"Good, you're going to visit her! How sweet, building up partnership like that!" He said happily, stars in his eyes. They darkened though, as Spirit stood tall, towering over Soul.

"If you defile my daughter, I'll kill you." He threatened. Soul scoffed and rolled his eyes again. This too was nothing new.

"Again, this coming from the man who seduces every woman possible. Reality check, old man." Soul crossed his arms.

"Oh, Spirit, how lovely to see you, Nyan!" Blair greeted, poking her head out from Soul's room. He'd forgotten he left the window open so she could get back in. She was holding one of Maka's hair ties in her mouth.

Spirit lost his mind again, and accused Soul of "ferociously and greedily deflowering his lovely daughter". Soul grabbed a book and chopped him on the head with it, pleased to find that it was rather satisfying. Now he understood why Maka would bonk him on the head every once in a while.

"You idiot. I've no interest in-in _that_ kind of stuff. I'm just trying to help her with her nightmares!" Soul admitted. Spirit calmed down again, and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall of the hallway outside of his door.

"She has nightmares?" He asked, suddenly serious. Soul crossed his arms, book still in hand in case he happened to need it.

"Yeah." He said, slipping into his shoes. He pushed past Spirit and shut and locked the door. He stopped to look back at the old man, who was staring at the wall, deep in thought or memory, Soul wasn't sure. He ignored Spirit, and turned to leave.

"Hey, kid." He said, catching Soul before he could walk away. Soul turned back and grunted.

"Take these to Maka, will you? I'd go…. But _he's_ there." Spirit asked, shuddering at the mention of "he". Soul wondered who he could be talking about. He nodded and took the bouquet Spirit held in his outstretched arm.

"Sure." He agreed. He made his way to the hospital, too immersed in his thoughts to notice the strange looks from the other people along the way.

Stein looked up from a notebook he was scribbling something in as Soul entered. He smiled and waved, holding a finger to his lips to motion for silence.

"She's still asleep. Those for her?" Stein asked, a smirk on his lips. Soul looked at the bouquet, and nodded.

"Kind of you. Therapy seems to be working better than I'd anticipated." Stein muttered, scribbling something else down in the notebook. Soul blinked, and shook his head.

"No, they're not from me! Spirit, he showed up at my doorstep and he didn't want to come here, so he-

-Oh, I see. He needs to get over it. It was _years_ ago." Stein cut him off, smiling as he leaned back in his chair. Soul felt a strange aura erupting from the man, and stepped aside when he hastily grabbed his notebook and left, grumbling under his breath. Soul swore he heard Stein say "you're not real" as he passed.

Yup, the man was definitely losing his mind.

Putting what had just happened behind him, Soul set the bouquet of flowers in Maka's lap. He sat down in the chair, crossing his arms and thinking to himself.

 _What good is a weapon if they can't defend their Meister? Sure, I'm willing to throw my life on the line, but…what then? Shit, she might not get away, and they'd…_ He shook his head, not wanting to finish the thought.

He stood to leave, but Maka's voice called out to him.

"Good morning, Soul. You're up early." Maka said, smiling. He turned back around and smiled at her.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep well. It's actually, uh, noon-ish." He answered honestly. She tried to sit up, but couldn't move much.

"It's hot…" She whispered, trying to shrug off the blanket. He pulled it down, and as he looked her over, he saw that she really was moving, ever so slightly. He grinned. She was fast on her way to recovery.

"Wow, you're doing better already!" He complimented, genuinely cheerful. She smiled, and nodded.

"Can you help me sit up?" She asked. He did, supporting her on one arm while cranking the lever to raise the back of the bed up a few degrees. He lied her back gently, and sat down again. Only then, she noticed the flowers in her lap. She turned beet red, and Soul looked at them.

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He'd hesitated too long, and besides, it'd only kill her good mood to tell her they'd been from her father. He blushed himself, finding that he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Thank you, Soul. They're pretty." She whispered. Soul smirked and cleared his throat.

"Welcome. How'd you sleep?" He asked. Her face fell. He felt bad for killing her mood; judging by the way she reacted, she hadn't slept well, but it changed the subject

"I dreamt I was paralyzed forever, and… you found a different partner. I-I tried to find you, but I couldn't. I guess maybe you were too far away." She whispered, her voice small. Soul gave her a smile.

"You were able to move today. You'll be out of here soon. Don't worry."

She smiled back at him as he pointed this out, and he felt much better about the situation.

"I knew it wasn't a dream. You wouldn't do that to me, would you, Soul?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Remember what I told you? 'Cool guys don't cheat on their partners'. I'm serious about that. So, quit worrying. You'll be back up and running in no time." He repeated. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's quiet company.

"Ne, Soul?" She asked. He hummed to know he was listening.

"Can I hold your hand?" She asked, a blush forming on her face again. With all the blushing she'd done in the last twenty minutes or so, he was surprised her face wasn't permanently red. He nodded, and took her hand, giving a squeeze. He felt great relief when she squeezed it back lightly.

"I'm fine! I _don't_ need anyone to take a look at me!" They heard Black Star's voice bark out. Soul let go of Maka's hand, and crossed his arms.

"But, Black Star, you really should-

-Tsubaki, really. I'm fine. I just want to say 'hi' to Maka, and give her what that old man gave me." Black Star announced. The door burst open and the blue-haired assassin stepped in. Tsubaki waited outside.

"Whoa. You ok, dude, you look like sh-

-I'm _fine_. Just… here." He said, reaching into his pocket and tossing a candy at Maka.

"What's this?" She asked. He paused at the door.

"Sweet candy from a sweet-hearted samurai." He answered, leaving.

"Oh." She said. She went to reach for it, but remembered she didn't have enough mobility yet. Soul smirked and picked it up, unwrapped it, and held it out for her. Blushing, she opened her mouth. His fingers brushed against her lips lightly, and they tingled as he felt how soft they were. She used her pink tongue to pull it into her mouth, which also lightly grazed his fingers.

He tried desperately to keep a straight face, and used the excuse of throwing away the wrapper to regain himself.

When he turned around, he wrinkled his brow in confusion. She had a mixed look on her face.

"He said this candy was sweet, but… It's kelp flavored."

* * *

I really like this pairing. The show did not do them an ounce of justice... thank god we have Fanfiction to make up for it, right?


	5. Caretaker

These are a series of short snippets, some from the anime (altered, of course).

* * *

Chapter 5

"You sure about this? Maybe I should call Tsubaki instead, Maka!" Soul protested, keeping his back turned. The mirror was fogged up, which was a great thing right now. She wouldn't see the embarrassed look on his face.

"It's… almost 10, Soul. Granted, we should have thought about this before I decided to take a bath, but..." She muttered. Soul dropped his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"What about Blair?" He asked desperately. He couldn't believe they'd had this oversight, between the both of them.

"She left, remember?" Maka reminded him. Soul fought back a nervous whimper, and reached for the towel hanging on the rack. He could feel a nosebleed coming on as she grabbed it from him; he began to imagine her wrapping it around her tiny frame. This was _definitely_ not a way he should be thinking of his Meister.

He heard the water draining, and heard her step out onto the floor. Feeling that it was safe to turn around, he did, and held out his arm for her to take. She was holding herself up on the sink, legs wobbling.

"Maybe you should have stayed another day." He told her. She took a wobbly step forward, threatening to fall, but he held her up.

"I didn't want to stay there anymore. It was miserable." She admitted, focusing on walking. The journey to her room was quite slow, and it felt like a few minutes had passed before they finally got to her room.

She was sitting on her bed, still wrapped in a towel. He still refused to face her.

"Are you good now? Or what?" He asked. She stared at the floor.

"Mind… getting me a change of clothes?" She voiced softly. He turned sharply, eyes wide. She wasn't asking him _that_ , was she? He'd have to… He'd have to…

Biting his tongue, he nodded, and walked to her dresser.

"Pajamas are in the bottom drawer. Underwear in the top." She directed. Pajamas were no problem. He grabbed a pair of green ones and set them beside her on the bed.

Striding back over to the dresser, he shut his eyes, reached into the top drawer, grabbed a handful, and threw them at her. He rushed out of the door before she could have a chance to get angry.

Waiting outside of her room, he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't certain, since he didn't exactly feel them up, but he was sure he'd grabbed a random lacy pair and another silky pair.

"Next time, I'm calling Tsubaki." He called to her through the door.

"You hit me in the face, you assbag!" She replied. Soul smirked, but then pinched his nose again as the vivid image hit him.

Ten minutes passed, and he tapped on her door.

"Doing ok? Didn't fall over, did you?" He asked, slightly joking.

"No, I'm decent, I'm just… resting." She responded. He stood and opened the door. She'd slid off of her bed, pajamas on. The effort of getting dressed left her exhausted. He gave her a small smile, trying to hide the feeling of pity in his eyes. Soul walked over to her and knelt down. He scooped his arm around her back and underneath her knees, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Easily he lifted her up off of the ground and paused.

"Sleep in your room, or mine?" He asked. He wouldn't admit it, but he was looking forward to not sleeping alone. It was a gigantic relief on him, and he felt confident it was a relief to her as well.

"Your stuff is already in your room… and you still need to change, don't you?" She asked. Soul nodded, only focused on the fact that his stuff was in his room. As he walked to his room, she hugged her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He fought to keep from smiling, but couldn't fight the spread of a serene warmth in his chest.

He set her down in his bed, using his foot to kick aside the covers. He set her down in it and pulled the covers back over her. He grabbed a change of clothes, went to the bathroom and changed, brushed his teeth, and almost skipped across the hall to his room.

As he grasped the handle, he did a mental check.

 _Why are you getting so excited about this? Sure, it's a relief, but you're just going to sleep. Geeze, relax. Only uncool guys think about getting into their Meister's…_ he stopped mid-thought. They just took care of each other, like close friends do. That's all. Just friends. Close friends.

 _Friends who share the same bed?_

He rolled his eyes at the suggestive thought, and opened the door. He turned off his light and crawled into his bed. She struggled to move over, but he waited patiently.

"Feel ok?" He asked. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable, at least.

She nodded, and a smile crept to her face.

"Better." She whispered. He smiled, and lied down.

"Soul." She whispered, so low that he barely heard it. It was filled with an undertone of something, though he was sure he was only imagining it.

"Hold me. Please?" She asked. He sleepily opened his eyes, and turned to look at her. She had a worried expression on her face, and he didn't like it. Was she worried about having a nightmare? Perhaps her separation had hit her harder than he'd thought. True, he was shaken himself, but it didn't mean he needed to be _held._ He shook his head. This was Maka. She'd been dealing with her nightmares long enough by herself.

"Sure." He agreed, turning on his side to pull her against him. He lied on his back again, looping one arm beneath her side and let the other rest at his own side.

He felt her smile on his chest, and the simple expression made him melt. At that point, he knew. This was more than just friendship. It had to be. Feelings of joy bubbled within him, so greatly he could burst.

"I'm… sorry I'm such a-

-Don't. Don't even think like that." He stopped her. He didn't think he could hear her say it himself. It might make him break.

 _Geeze, when did I become such a sap?_ He wondered. She chuckled and nodded.

"Will you… sing something for me?" She asked. He arched an eyebrow, and tapped his fingers on her shoulder in thought.

"Sorry, never mind-

-I'm just thinking of something. That's all." He interrupted again. She nodded, and closed her eyes, listening to his powerful heartbeat.

 _When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment, please, to tame your wild, wild heart.  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you.  
It's hard to find relief, and people can be so cold.  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore:_

His voice resounded through the darkness of the room, and he could feel a rumble in his chest. She flattened her hand against his chest, tracing the scar he'd received from Krona.

 _Let me be the one you call  
If you jump, I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart,  
I can mend a broken heart.  
If you need to crash, then crash and burn,  
You're not alone._

She began to shake, and he held her tighter. He felt a sad smile on his face and in his eyes, but he kept singing anyway. It felt like it was helping him, too.

 _When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find,  
You're caught in a one way street  
With the monsters in your head.  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day,_

Her entire body was trembling, and he softly stroked her hair.

 _Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone._

He wasn't sure, but thought he felt teardrops damping his shirt. He wrapped the covers around them, moving his other hand to wrap both around her tightly.

 _There has always been heartache and pain,  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breath again_

 _When you feel all alone,  
and the world has turned its back on you,  
Give me a moment, please,  
To tame your wild, wild heart_

 _Let me be the one you call.  
If you jump I'll break your fall.  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
If you need to fall apart,  
I can mend a broken heart.  
If you need to crash then crash and burn,_

"You're not alone." He whispered, blinking slowly. His chest was wet. She'd cried herself to sleep, hadn't she? He didn't dare check, not wanting to disturb her. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, not really caring anymore.

He rested his head back, and closed his tired eyes, falling asleep quicker than he'd expected earlier in the day.

* * *

Morning broke through his window, and Soul opened his eyes. He didn't feel Maka's warmth next to him, and he looked. Her "space" was empty. He sat up, amazed. She'd crawled over him, onto the floor, and gotten out of his room _without_ waking him up?

He draped his legs over the edge of the bed and sniffed at the air. Bacon. She was cooking?

Holy crap, she was cooking! He bolted out of the room, genuine shock on his face. He skidded to a halt at the entrance to the kitchen. Sure enough, she was cooking, with Blair's help.

"Morning, Soul." Maka greeted happily. She leaned slightly against Blair as she grabbed a spatula and flipped the pancake that was cooking in the pan. It was a beautiful golden-brown.

"Good morning." He replied, still stunned. He walked up to her.

"Do you need any help?" He asked. She shook her head sternly.

"Just do the dishes." She stated. He nodded. It was a part of their agreement. If one cooked, the other cleaned. He sat down, not wanting to get in her way.

She placed a plate down in front of him, and he smiled graciously at it, picked up his fork, and shoveled a whole fried egg into his mouth.

It tasted heavenly. The last three days he'd been forced to make breakfast, he'd nearly burned the house down. He'd find a way to _burn_ a pot of water.

 _Death be damned, you're amazing._ He thought, hurriedly shoveling food in his mouth. He finished the plate in a record time, not minding that his stomach hurt slightly. It'd been the best food he'd had for a while.

"Thank you. You're a life saver." He complimented. She gave him a look at how quickly he'd finished his food, and sighed.

"Mm. No problem." She said, sitting down shakily. He noticed, but didn't point it out. She might become self-conscious.

He let his stomach settle while she ate, and picked up their plates when she'd finished. He set them in the sink, and ran the tap.

"You were out cold. Sleep well?" She asked. From the knowing smirk on her face, she knew he had, he figured.

"Do you really have to ask?" He threw back playfully.

He paused in scrubbing a stubborn spot as she hugged him around the middle, placing her forehead in the curvature of his shoulder blades.

"Thank you. For… for everything, Soul. You're a… really good person." She said. His hands were wet, so he squeezed her arm with his elbow.

"You're welcome, Maka." He replied, though he had a funny feeling she hadn't said what she truly wanted to. No matter. It was just who she was. Strong in the face of a fearful adversary, shy and sweet in the presence of those she cared about.

He smiled to himself, feeling better about life than he had in _months_.

* * *

Soul and Maka walked up the stairs to the school. He wondered what was going on, since there were a large group of students blocking the top stairway.

"You're so annoying!" "Shut up!" some of them shouted. Soul snickered, finding it funny, until he heard: "Fools! My legend begins in the 12th century! Listen, and I shall tell you!"

Soul froze in his tracks. Maka stopped too, turning to look at him.

"What is it, Soul?"

As the name "Excalibur" ran through his head, he grimaced.

"Ugh, I hope that's not who I think it is." He said aloud. They pushed through the crowd, and when they reached the front row, Soul blanched, and grimaced again.

The students were surrounding Hero, Black Star, Death the Kidd, and Kilik Rung. Tension was thick in the air, and Soul sighed as he saw Hero had teamed up with the notoriously annoying legendary weapon.

Black Star attacked first, but as Hero sprouted wings and took to the air, Black Star's attack missed. Kilik tried his luck to no avail, and finally, Kidd fell as well. Hero performed a final attack that had the three fried to a crisp in an instant. Soul had to admit, he was slightly impressed.

Pushing past the others, they continued on their way to the classroom, somewhat happy to be back among their friends. Soul noticed that Stein wasn't teaching today; Marie was taking his place.

* * *

Booming festival music and repeated unified laughter burst through the window. Maka and Soul _had_ been asleep, when it had started. Maka glanced at the clock on Soul's beside table. It was 7 o'clock on a _Saturday_ morning.

"I'm going to kill Hero on Monday." Maka growled, holding her hands over her ears to stifle the annoying sound. Soul nodded, and pulled her close.

"Hero'll ditch the dolt sooner or later. Let's just… go back to sleep." He countered, pulling the sheets up and over their heads. He curled up against her, snoring lightly after a few minutes.

* * *

Yup. Snippets, but they're cute. This will probably be my last post for a while. Gotta keep up on homework.


	6. Out of My Mind

Well, I have to admit, keeping this T-rated wasn't *too* hard. It's the first I've ever written. Imagine that...

This is the last chapter for this story. I might write up a one-shot for this and post it separately. Depends on how I feel about it.

I love watching the views in this story grow, though. It's quite nice and fulfilling.

Enough rambling. On with the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 6

Soul let his fingers roam along the piano keys, as Kidd, Black Star, and Maka fought to the rhythm and tone of the music. Black Star had pinned Asura down with his shadow technique, and Kidd had just fired a shot. It was up to Maka now. All she had to do was whack the fucker with Genie Hunter and—

He froze as he felt a sheer cold at his back. He looked up just in time to find the red demon drawing his body into the darkness, and did the only thing he could think of to preserve his soul. He created the box he'd planned ahead for in case this happened. The demon was part of the black blood, and he absolutely refused to trust it.

He was standing on a pedestal in utter darkness, save for the glimmering light that illuminated his body from a keyhole up above him.

"Damn you! You clever bastard! Open this lock! Now!" The demon screeched in a furious rage. Soul relaxed a little, relieved to find that he'd succeeded in protecting himself. Now, all there was to do was wait until either the battle finished, or Maka came to search for him.

He crossed his arms, feeling like he'd momentarily bested the bastard, until he felt something tickling his feet. He looked down, and to his horror, his feet were now covered in stone. His eyes widened even more as he saw the rock was climbing up his legs.

 _Oh, Death. I hope I can get out of here soon._

* * *

He wasn't sure how much time had passed as he stood there in the darkness, but the stone had reached halfway up his chest. In a foolish attempt to wipe it off of his hip, his left hand had gotten stuck to it like it was super-glued. He made sure to keep his other hand free at all costs.

The demon had spent at least ten minutes yelling at him, and then it'd finally calmed down, cackling sinisterly. Soul had a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Maka will come to save you, Soul. When she does, I'll gobble your little soul. My, how tasty it should be." It taunted. He bit his lip to keep from giving a response, determined to prove the demon's words fell on deaf ears. Truth be told, it made him tremble for his life.

He heard Maka's voice through the keyhole, and barked at her not to fall for it, hoping that he could hear her.

"Don't! Don't open the box!" He screamed furiously. He didn't care if he turned to stone anymore. It'd be better than being digested.

"Who are you?" He heard her voice say. He blinked. She'd seen through his disguise? Wonderful, beautiful, smart Maka! He smiled in relief. She could keep him safe, now.

"What do you mean? I'm Soul!" The demon lied.

"Why did you shut the door then? If it were really Soul, he wouldn't have shut it. He'd have tried to kick me out. You're not Soul. I'm not letting you have this key. You _aren't_ Soul." She defied him. Soul felt his heart damn near explode from joy.

"Yes! Good job, Maka!" He called out to her. He didn't care if she couldn't hear him or not.

"I wouldn't think about not opening it if I were you. Otherwise, Soul and I will both die. You have one of two choices, girl. Keep the box closed and let him die, or see Soul again in madness." He heard the demon say. He was pulling every psychological trick he had to get her to open the damn box.

"Soul's really in here?" She asked.

"Yes, that's right." The demon said.

"If that's the case… then I'll open it." He heard her voice say.

"What? Didn't you hear a damn thing he just said? Don't be stupid, Maka!" Soul barked.

"Yes, you can't just _abandon_ a partner like that. 'Tis would be a shame…" Its voice was deep, dark and threatening.

"Yes… but I won't let the madness take him. I swear, I'll save him!" Her voice echoed.

He heard the key slide into the lock, and dropped his head in defeat, saying his goodbyes. That was it; his life was over. It was going to eat him.

A bright shining light erupted through the darkness, and he looked up. Maka floated towards him, covered in a serene light. She wrapped her arms around him, and he sighed sadly. So they were going to die together. He hugged her back tightly, trying his best to ignore the dark, black blood tendrils winding around them. At least he would die in the arms of his unrequited lover.

 _What a beautiful way to go._ He thought to himself as the tendrils engulfed them entirely.

He snapped open his eyes as he felt himself floating, and saw he was back in the Black Room, fully dressed. Maka was there, too, holding him up and wearing the same black dress she had been the last few times they'd met in this room. The sounds of the strings in the piano being plucked turned his attention towards it, and he smirked as he saw what crawled out of it.

"You really are crazy. My crazy and super-cool partner." Soul complimented her. She grinned.

Soul turned his attention back to the piano. The red demon, having lost all of his power, was a miniature.

"What? I don't understand! I had you! I _had_ you!" It screamed furiously. Soul smirked and walked up to it, picking it up by the back of its collar.

"Who are you to talk all big, now?" He asked it.

"Are you-are you going to get rid of me, now?" The demon asked. Soul felt a sense of victory over the fear it had in its eyes.

"Like you said, you're a part of me, right? So…" He opened his mouth and threw the demon in it, swallowing it whole. It didn't taste too bad.

"I accept you." He muttered. He sighed, and closed his eyes. They could get back to the friction of battle.

As Soul opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Maka's face so close to his own. He caught himself wondering how she'd gotten inside of his head in the first place. Had she kissed him? His stomach flipped as his mind jumped to its conclusion. She'd kissed him, and he'd been trapped in his mind for it? Damn it all!

"We made it." She said, backing away and standing up.

"Yeah, thanks to you." He said, looking around.

"Where's Black Star and—

He saw the way she froze, and looked in the direction she was staring. His eyes widened.

Their friends were lying in the rubble, dead. Death, they were the only ones left.

"There's nothing unusual here. The appropriate one stands in the appropriate place after the appropriate ones have collapsed to the ground, defeated. There is nothing unexpected or odd about it. Because this is reality. Not one shred of uncertainty exists here. Not even fear, of course." A voice said to them. Soul turned to look, unnerved.

Death, the man was creepy. His hair of eyes, and the large, vertical eye in the middle of his forehead which had been the source of a few dreams stood now before them.

"Soul!" Maka called to him, holding out her hand. He took it and transformed. She spun him around and held him at the ready, but he was concerned. She was trembling.

"Are you afraid?" Soul heard Asura ask.

"Shut up." Maka hissed.

"Fear is the cause of all trouble. Failure. Setbacks. Jealousy. Misdeeds. Betrayal… and defeat." Asura continued. As Soul listened, he couldn't help but notice, the man was kinda right, and it made a little bit of sense. He shook himself. These were words of a madman. He shouldn't be actively contemplating them!

"Shut up." Maka stated, more sternly this time. Soul definitely noticed.

"Don't deceive yourself. Poor little thing…" Asura continued, insulting her.

"Shut up!" Maka barked.

"It's no use to threaten me; I have no fear. But… you're afraid of me. Our fight might as well be over already. Nothing you say to me will change _anything_."

 _Maka, don't listen to him. You got this._ Soul thought. As he felt her tense and become sturdy, he smirked. She'd stopped shaking, which meant she'd shrugged it off.

"I will fight! That's all there is to it!" She yelled. Soul felt her rear him back, and he prepared himself.

"Let's do it, Maka!"

They focused, connecting their souls and matching their wavelengths. It seemed surprisingly easy this time around, and he felt as though it were magnified on its own. It must have been due to what had transgressed in the confines of his mind. How amazing!

He felt himself grow, immense power pulsing through his veins. He kept his focus on Asura, somehow able to detect the wavelength. Maybe this, too, was a new side effect.

"Asura's got his guard down! Hit him, hard!" Soul commanded. He felt a jerk, and a lurch in his stomach as they suddenly stopped. What was going on out there? They flew back, and hit the ground hard.

"To think, my final opponent in this world is a good-for-nothing like you." Asura said. Soul hoped she hadn't heard him. It pissed him off just to hear it. She didn't move, and he wasn't sure if the words had hit her, or if she'd just been stunned by the impact.

"Maka, come on!" Soul called to her. She didn't respond.

"Those other brats put up much more of a fight than you."

"Don't listen to him, he's babbling!" Soul barked. He felt her pinky twitch, and then felt her entire hand grasp him. Good, she'd snapped out of it!

She felt him rush for Asura and he focused, trying to steady the flow of energy to his blade.

 _We need to wait for an opening, and hit him with the strongest attack we've got!_ He felt Maka think.

 _Our strongest, huh? That's…_ He still wasn't certain they could do it, but he was ready to try. He was ready to give it his all. It showed, as he felt his power double. Triple. He wasn't even sure what the count was, blinded by the sheer force of it all.

"Kishin Hunter!" She bellowed, raising him into the air.

That was something new.

She swung him, and he felt himself catch. Had Asura seriously stopped them? No… he felt the warmth of flesh. Something was preventing them from making a clean cut. He roared and pushed even harder, trying to cut as deeply as possible. Perhaps the freak would die from blood loss.

He felt a hand on the side of the blade, and suddenly he was being shocked.

The massive blade he'd grown shattered and they were thrown back a few yards.

"Asshole!" Maka growled.

"That's a filthy word. Looks like you'll need to be punished." He heard the man say. Feeling a dark mass of energy forming from the man, he transformed, ready to dodge. Not quick enough.

The man fired a ray of blinding black and red light, aiming straight for Maka. Before he could stop himself, Soul blocked the attack. It hit him in the back. His brain couldn't function fast enough to process the amounts of pain he felt, and he fell forward, unconscious.

* * *

Soul couldn't be more proud of Maka. She'd single-handedly destroyed the Kishin with a well-aimed punch to the face. He was happy he'd come around in time to see it. It had been truly badass.

Upon arrival in the Death Room, everyone showered her with congratulations and compliments, and she smiled in return, accepting them thankfully.

"My dear Maka! Your father is so proud! SO PROUD!" Spirit cried, squeezing her in a hug. Annoyed, she chopped him on the head, and he let go. Soul snickered, amused. Even after a near-fatal match, she still hated her father with a passion.

Soul's face fell slightly when Krona approached her, wringing his fingers together and blushing madly.

"Can I… I mean… um, ki—

-out with it, Krona!" Ragnarok shouted, sprouting out of his back and hammering his head with punches. Soul turned his back and shoved his hands in his pockets, focusing intently on the floor. It was obvious what Krona was trying to ask. He wasn't the type to just do things without asking.

 _Even after all we went through… Damn it._

"Sorry, Krona. I'm really tired. I'd like to go home. We'll talk later, ok?" She gave an apologetic smile. Soul looked up, shocked, and turned back around to look at her. _She just turned him down?_

"I'm going home now. Coming, Soul?" She asked him, taking off down the guillotine hallway without waiting for a response from him. Soul glanced at Krona, and then turned his head to avoid eye contact. Didn't matter much, Krona was staring at the floor with tears in his eyes.

"That was unexpected." Spirit muttered as he stood next to Soul. Soul felt _slightly_ sorry as Krona hid behind a pillar and curled up in a ball, but a small sense of personal victory rumbled in his chest. Soul chuckled.

"Yeah." He muttered.

"It's not him she's after." Spirit voiced, crossing his arms. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"What?" Soul asked. The man wasn't making any sense. How could he possibly know something like that when Maka refused to talk to him? He sure as hell hadn't said anything to Spirit about his affections towards Maka.

"Take care of my daughter, boy. I'll kill you if you don't." He growled, turning away to go talk to Stein. Soul rolled his eyes, but couldn't shake that there was something hidden in the way he'd said it this time. If the man had noticed, was he… encouraging them? He told himself he was thinking too much, and took off after Maka, eager to take a nice hot shower and sleep. He wanted to sleep for the next three days.

He let her shower first, using the time to chug a few glasses of water. She didn't take long, and he gave her a questioning look as she passed by. She usually took half an hour.

"I'm tired. I would have probably fallen asleep in there." She answered his look. He shrugged, and hurriedly stripped himself of his dirty, bloody clothes. He was all too happy to step into the piping hot water. He looked down, and he could see the dirt being washed off of his body. He wrinkled his nose in disgust with himself, and scrubbed his skin with the washcloth until it was slightly raw.

He stepped into his room, dropped his towel, and proceeded to change into a pair of blue sweatpants. He picked up his towel and dried off his hair, and as he glanced in the mirror, his heart skipped a beat. Maka was sitting in his bed, reading a book.

"Shit, I didn't know you were in here! Shit, I'm sorry!" He apologized, paling and covering his head. She'd seen him fully naked, and now he was going to get chopped for something that wasn't even _his_ fault. He watched as she nonchalantly shrugged, still immersed in her book.

"I didn't see anything; I was reading." She dismissed, though he noted the tint of pink on her cheeks. Soul relaxed a little, still unnerved. He walked to his bed and sat down in it, yawning.

He shuffled himself to lean against the wall, and she leaned against him, still reading her book.

"Thank you, Maka. I… I thought I was going to die." He admitted. She closed the book and reached over him to set it on the bedside table, and settled at his side.

"For a minute there, I thought we _had_." She replied. He felt her shiver, and slid down the bed to lie back. She was able to rest against him more fully this way, and he was able to hold her better.

He hugged her tightly, heart pounding in his chest. It'd been so cold, so numbing in the box. He never wanted to feel that way again, though with the black blood gone, he felt confident he never would again.

"I'm glad we made it. I'm glad everyone's safe." She whispered. He nodded, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. They sat in silence, relieved to be in the safety of their home.

He thought about what Maka's father had said. It was eating at him. He thought of Krona, and wondered what would have happened if he'd gone through with saying what he'd wanted. Would she have still turned him down? Would she have kissed him?

"He was gonna ask if he could kiss you, you know." Soul stated, trying to pass it off coolly.

"Hm?" She asked. This had caught her off guard.

"Krona. He… wanted to kiss you." Soul reminded her.

"Oh. I know, but I don't really care." She smiled a little. This surprised him, and he looked back at her.

"You… don't?"

She giggled, nodded, and leaned closer to him. He blushed at her sudden movement.

"Nope. He's not the one I want to kiss." She admitted, claiming his lips with her own. He was stunned momentarily, but when she pulled back, he smirked.

"I see."

He held her face in his hands and kissed her back, pulling her into a hug. It felt damn good when she returned it. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, and yawned.

Chuckling, he shuffled to lie down and held her tightly against him, occasionally kissing the top of her head.

"Hey, Maka?" He started. She hummed in response. He smiled, and chuckled, the vibrations rumbling in his chest.

"I love you." He admitted. She grinned, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you, too, Soul."

* * *

Ta-da! Paralysis is *officially* over!

Hope you all enjoyed! Look forward to more in the future!


End file.
